History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.94

v5.c74.94

That the merit of a pilgrimage could be collected in a vicarious manner is laid down by the Smṛtis and Purāṇas. Atri (50-51) provides¹³⁰⁸ 'He for whom an effigy made with *kuśa* grass intending it as a representative is dipped in the waters of a holy place secures one-eighth part of the merit (that he would have secured by himself bathing in the waters). If a man takes a bath (in a holy place) having in view (the benefit of his mother, father, brother, friend or guru, these latter receive one-twelfth of the fruit (of the pilgrimage). Another verse of Paiṭhīnasi says that he who visits a holy place for money (wages) from another gets only a 16th part of the merit, but he who goes to a tīrtha while bent on another purpose or errand (such as study, business, waiting on a guru)¹³⁰⁹ reaps only half the merit. The Viṣṇudharmottara has a similar verse. It was owing to this *idea* of collecting merit and God's Grace that wealthy men built *Dharmaśālās, tanks, and annasattras* and wells for the conveniences of pilgrims and the planting of trees by the sides of roads had in view the comfort of pilgrims as well as of the general public The Prabhāsa khaṇḍa remarks 'A wealthy man who enables another to perform pilgrimage by providing his own money or conveyances gets one-fourth of the merit of the pilgrimage.'¹³¹⁰